When I was in college, and for some time afterward, I did a lot of house and pet sitting. I loved it; I can remember describing it as being paid to go on vacation. For weeks at a time, I would stay in these homes that had so many more comforts and amenities than my own: cable or satellite television, washers and dryers that weren't in creepy basements, dishwashers, and huge showers with stone floors and built-in steam settings. Some houses only had a few of these luxuries, but a couple houses I watched had them all.

One house in particular was especially fancy, in my opinion. It had a beautifully manicured lawn, with a century-old apple orchard on site. When the owner first gave me a tour prior to me staying there, we spent about two hours going from room to room as I learned the history of the property and the house. The home had been in her family for many, many years and she had put in a lot of time and effort into its upkeep and restoration. She lived there alone with her two dogs, since her kids were both in college.

During one of my stays, I kept hearing a strange noise from a part of the house that was somewhat closed off from the main living area, typically reserved for guests. It took what felt like several minutes for me to walk through the house to find the source of the noise: an old unlocked window had slid open and the breeze was disrupting something in the room. As I walked back down to the main part of the house, I realized just how huge this home truly was, and I had a hard time imagining myself living in such a large space. I remember at that moment having a realization as to why people will often choose to downsize to smaller houses later in their lives.

I think of that particular house often. I am not sure if the owner still lives there, though considering the history of the property and her family, I would assume that she does. It was so beautiful; she did an impressive job styling and maintaining the house, and she was very proud of it. Though it's exciting to think about the possibility of one day leading a life that would allow me to own a house like that, I am content with my little old cape house in the woods, with just enough room for me and my pets. I will admit, I could do without the laundry being in the creepy basement, but I hope to make the basement a little-less-creepy some day soon.

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Paige O. Roberts has a degree in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Henniker Review, Sidereal Magazine, Rejection Letters, and Cypress. She has been nominated for a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize. She lives in northern New Hampshire where she owns and operates a pet boutique called Tailswag.